Friday, September 08, 2017

Scotland beat the Auld Enemy and win the Pheonix Cup

Scotland take the Phoenix Cup . . . . at last!
Team Scotland, made up of golfers from the Scottish Disability Golf Partnership, have just secured a staggering victory over the Auld Enemey, after three days match play competition at the Murrayshall Resort in Perth.
The Phoenix Cup, which is much like the Ryder Cup format took place over the Perthshire course earlier this week, where twelve players from each team battled it out over the parkland course, in the traditional match play formats like fourball and foursomes and took the Cup on the third day by 12 points to 6.
Day one in very wet conditions, saw Scotland take a narrow one point lead over the English disabled golfers.
Day two in much brighter conditions saw the Scots batter the opposition by taking five of the six matches and a half point from a drawn game. This set the Scots on track for a historic victory, as to date, Team Scotland has won other international Phoenix formats, but never won at home.
Ian Halliwell the English Captain said, "This was a great opportunity to compete in a much coveted competition, to play at a wonderful venue in Murrayshall, but primarily to let people know that having a disability is not a barrier to playing golf. We would have loved to give the Scots a better run for their money, but we can’t always have things all our own way.”

Jim Thomson the Scottish Captain said, “We thought we had a strong team on paper, but its one thing to theorise, and you can never tell how individuals will gel or not during a competition? The first day was more of a struggle against the elements, but we had them on day two, by taking five of the six available points and halving the last. A great competition and a result to relish.”

The SDGP Phoenix Cup Team was Robert Inness of Dumfries, John Pennycott (Vice Captain) from the Isle of Arran, Adam Storrie of Fauldhouse, Jim Thomson (Captain) from the Isle of Cumbrae, Shaun Beazley of Springfield, Derek Milne from Upper Largo, Alan Robertson (Vice Captain) of Stirling, Billy Cairns of Kilmarnock, Paul Ellison of St Andrews, Bob Drysdale of Tayport, Donna Hawkins of Toronto, Kerr Scott of Busby and Kenny Morrison from the Isle of Harris.